Dalai Lama to Burmese Monks: ‘Enough Anti-Muslim Violence’

Yangon ( AsiaNews / Agencies) – The Dalai Lama has appealed to Burmese Buddhist Monks asking them to act according to the principles of the Buddha, avoiding violence or targeted attacks against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar. “When resentment or anger towards your Muslim brothers and sisters emerge – said the Tibetan spiritual leader , during an annual peace conference held recently in Prague, Czech Republic – please , remember [ the principles ] of the Buddhist faith . ” He added, “to be sure” that in following the teachings of the Enlightened One, the Burmese monks will “protect their Muslim brothers and sisters who are increasingly victims.”

The Burmese Buddhist monks became involved in a campaign against the Muslims, with protests and, in some cases, direct attacks against the community or individual groups. In particular, the anti- Rohingya violence in the western state of Rakhine erupted in June 2012 caused at least 200 deaths – especially among the Muslim minority – and more than 140 thousand displaced people.

In recent days, the Burmese religious marked the sixth anniversary of the “Saffron Revolution” , which flared up between August and September of 2007 and was violently repressed by the junta , with more than 30 deaths and hundreds of monks arrested . For years, religious people rejected offers by the military and would not provide their functions and celebrations in protest against the brutal repression. Leaders of the Burmese Buddhist movement confirm that the ban will not be lifted “as long as there will be no official apology” from the authorities. Among the aims of this sixth anniversary of the massacre, the promotion “of nationality and religion , peace and national reconciliation and a significant progress on the democratic path of Myanmar.”

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It’s certainly a worthy and welcome sentiment, but it’s about as significant as the Pope giving spiritual advice to Southern Baptists. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists (and western movie stars, hippies, and new agers), not Buddhists in general. As such, it’s pretty ridiculous to criticize him for not speaking earlier, or to think this will mean anything to the Burmese monks.

Buddhists can never kill or harm anyone,this is an ethnic conflict sparked by local feuds,buddhists dont have to explain themselves.buddhists are being killed in thailand and bangladesh,i have yet so hear some big saudi or iranian cleric denounce it

There is a lot more violence by Muslims against non-Muslims then the other way around in the last 10 days alone we have had 81 Christians murdered by the Taliban in Pakistan,50 Christian students murdered by Boko Haram in Nigeria and how many innocent shoppers were tortured and killed in Kenya by Al Shabbab ?

//Paul O'Callaghan via Facebook 30 September 2013 at 11:56 am

Not enuf. Kill some more muzzies.

//Himanshu Choubey via Facebook 30 September 2013 at 12:30 pm

There have been over 20,000 terrorist attacks by Islamist since 911. Mohammad was a thief,liar,murderer,rapist,mysoginistic,pedophile false prophet. Anyone who thinks this scum was the perfect man is sick in the head. Islamist=satanist.